Outdoor Advertising
What is outdoor advertising?
Outdoor advertising refers to any form of advertising that reaches consumers while they are outside, such as billboards, posters, signs, and other displays on buildings, vehicles, and public transportation.
Outdoor advertising can be an important part of advertising and marketing strategies because it allows businesses to reach a wider audience outside of their physical location. This can then mean greater opportunities to create brand awareness and drive sales by targeting specific demographics in high traffic areas.
Outdoor advertising also helps businesses to:
Develop brand recognition
Reach a larger audience
Increase sales as a result of this wider reach
Stand out from competitors and make a large impact in a creative way
The evolution of outdoor advertising
The origins of outdoor advertising can be dated back pretty far, potentially to ancient eras when people used signs to advertise their products or services. However, it wasn't until the late 19th century that outdoor advertising became more prevalent with the introduction of billboards. Since then, outdoor advertising has evolved significantly with the introduction of new technologies such as digital signage and mobile billboards.
Key components of outdoor advertising
The key components of outdoor advertising include the:
Location
Choosing the right location for outdoor advertising is crucial to its success. On a basic level there’s no point in choosing to advertise in an area where your target audience is not present in large numbers.
Creative
The creative aspect of the outdoor ad is equally important as it helps to capture the attention of the target audience. It should be impactful and memorable.
Message
The message conveyed in outdoor advertising should be clear and concise. Passers-by should be able to understand it in fractions of a section.
Including a call-to-action can encourage the target audience to take action, such as visiting a website or making a purchase.
Benefits of using outdoor advertising
Some of the main benefits of working with outdoor advertising include:
Wider reach: Outdoor advertising allows businesses to reach a large audience in high traffic areas - in busy commercial or leisure areas, or along busy highways.
Brand awareness: Outdoor advertising helps to create brand awareness and recognition by increasing brand visibility.
Targeted marketing: Businesses can use outdoor advertising to target specific demographics within a specific area. For example, teenagers at a bowling alley or similar.
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Examples of outdoor advertising
Popular examples of outdoor advertising forms are:
Billboards
Digital signage
Vehicle wraps
Sponsorship of events or venues
Best practices when it comes to outdoor advertising
Thinking of getting started with an outdoor advertising campaign? We've put together some recommended best practices to help guide you.
01. Choose the right location for your ad based on where your target audience is. This will involve some research beforehand.
02. Create eye-catching and memorable ads, you have only seconds to make an impact.
03. Include a clear and concise message that will stick with people.
04. Include a call-to-action to encourage action from the target audience.
05. Use contrasting colors to make your ad stand out, and allow you to make an impact with your creative.
·06. Ensure that your ad is visible from a distance.
07. Avoid cluttering your ad with too many messages or images, keep it concise.
Challenges associated with using outdoor advertising
Despite its benefits, outdoor advertising is not without its potential drawbacks. Weather conditions can affect the visibility and effectiveness of outdoor ads and prevent how easy they are to see. At the same time competing ads in the same location can reduce the impact of your ad and create competition. Outdoor campaigns can also be more difficult to track in terms of metrics and meeting KPIs compared to online campaigns which are known for being easy to track.